Big business as usual: new diversity of voices policy for Canadian media disappoints

After weeks of hearings and over 2,000 submissions from Canadians and media companies, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has finally issued their new policy concerning Diversity of Voices in the Canadian broadcasting system. Industry representatives received the new policies warmly while activists and artists have been disappointed.

In a recently released summary and analysis of the new policies, the Campaign for Democratic Media (CDM) raises a number of concerns: the new policies will not safeguard diversity of voices in local broadcast markets (diversity is measured on a national scale), and they do not require divestment on the part of Canadian media companies despite Canada having one of the most concentrated media systems in the Western world.

“The absence of safeguards for local diversity in broadcasting,” says CDM, “runs counter to the Commission’s own suggestion that any benefits related to increased consolidation should include improvements at both the local and national level.